32/33 Week Update with birth story - VERY LONG

Missy wrote:

She's completely perfect. That's all I really have to say. She has
her father's nose and she is so tiny. She was 4 pounds and 9 ounces
big, and almost 17 inches long.

Congratulations on your baby, even if the birth
isn't what you envisioned. I hope she comes
home soon.

I remember my greatest fear was that I would get
home before Pillbug did and I bawled my eyes out
when I was told that he was coming home with me.
So, I do understand how you feel.

-- Anita --

Jamie Clark wrote:
Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Anne Rogers wrote:

Did you really not see your baby until you were discharged from
hospital? That is shocking, I can't believe that any hospital in a
civilised country would do that to it's new mums, and even if no one
was prepared to push you in a wheelchair, after a couple of days,
you would have been able to walk to him yourself.
I believe she said the baby was in a different
hospital.


No, in the end, they found a space for her baby in the NICU of the hospital
she delivered at.

Ahh, sorry, it seems they did--but the comment made
about her not seeing the baby until discharge was to do with
the scenario where the baby had to go to a different hospital.
I presume that once the baby got to stay in the same hospital
that she *did* get to see her baby while she was in the hospital.
Sorry for adding to the confusion.

Best wishes,
Ericka

betsy wrote:
It's been very hard. She is in the NICU and we don't live close to the
hospital. I was just released on Saturday afternoon and I feel so sad
to not have her with me. I feel very empty without her. The doctors
give her an estimate of three to four weeks in the NICU. Though, it is
only a guess. She is doing better than expected. The tests they ran
on her lungs after my water broke showed lots of negative things, and
we were warned that she would not do well. Though, she hasn't needed
any help with her breathing at all.


Missy,
I'm so sorry you are going through this. It must be very hard to be
separated from your baby.

One of the best things you can do for her right now is to pump and
give her your milk. She is likely to do better and get out sooner. A
friend had a 2nd trimester baby who was in NICU for quite a while. She
pumped every 2 hours and ended up with a normal breastfeeding
relationship after her baby was finally home. The child is now 8 and
is 1 year ahead in school.

Is there a Ronald McDonald house you can stay in at least part of the
time that is nearer?

--Betsy

Betsy,
I've been pumping since five hours after my c-section. I pump every
two hours. At a certain point if there is room on one of the empty
floors of the hospital (they use it for overflow) I will stay at the
hospital. Once she is able to take a bottle I will stay there so that
I can come down for all or most of the feedings and breastfeed. I was
told by lactation that once she can take a bottle she can breastfeed,
so that is my plan.

It's the without her part that I am having trouble dealing with. I was
supposed to have another eight weeks before she was born, and I'm not
handling that very well.

-- Missy

April & Stewart wrote:
Oh Missy I am so sorry to hear about your news but look on the bright side
of the fact that your little baby is doing well and I'll pray that she'll
continue to do so. I know the pain of not being with your baby but you'll be
reunited with her very soon i'm sure. Keep us all updated and stay strong...

April


Thank you, April. I know that we are very fortunate that our little
girl is doing so well. We feel blessed. I'm just not handling not
having her here very well, though I know that is normal. I just feel
so empty without her.

-- Missy

Jamie Clark wrote:
Missy wrote:
SNIP

I know this was long. I surely wasn't expecting to have my baby now.
We were supposed to have a full two months left. It breaks my heart
to be without her.

Missy
-- Baby Boo Novemeber 7th, 2006

Hugs Missy. You and the doctors did everything you could, and the fact of
the matter is that the outcome was still good. You have a live baby. I'm
so sorry that she came early, but glad that she is being taken care of.
Hugs to you and Baby Boo.
--

Jamie


Thanks, Jamie. We feel so very blessed and fortunate to have our baby.
I had a very bad feeling that something was going to go quite wrong.
We also feel so lucky that she is being cared for by such good people.
All of the nurses in the NICU truly care about the babies. We feel
very, very lucky. We do truly know how fortunate we are to have our
baby. I felt like she was going to die before she was born, and I
can't explain it. I know how fortunate we are to have her. It's just
so hard being without her and feeling helpless. I also feel as though
I failed. But our girl will be home in the near future, and yes, I am
so truly blessed.

-- Missy

Anne Rogers wrote:
Did you really not see your baby until you were discharged from hospital?
That is shocking, I can't believe that any hospital in a civilised
country would do that to it's new mums, and even if no one was prepared
to push you in a wheelchair, after a couple of days, you would have been
able to walk to him yourself.

I believe she said the baby was in a different
hospital.

oh, sorry, missed that, but I guess it's food for thought, that if it's at
all possible, choose a hospital that has a nicu, or that if it doesn't, that
transfer of both mum and baby would be a possibility.

Cheers

Anne

Anne,

The NICU was completey full and we were told that our baby would have
to go to another hospital. We were also told that I would not be able
to see the baby until I was discharged and since it was a c-section it
would be three to four days. In the end they made room in the NICU at
my hospital for my baby. Though, they changed their minds many times
before finally taking her. I got to see her the next day (about twelve
hours after she was born). My hospital has a NICU it was just full.
It had been a very busy week and I was one out of six mothers that
delivered at 32/33 weeks.

-- Missy

Nina Pretty Ballerina wrote:
"Missy" wrote in message
ups.com...
Well, I posted my 32 week update and then at 32 weeks 5 days my
membranes ruptured and I found myself in labor and delivery.
Unfortunately, the baby was not doing well and our only option was to
deliver our baby. We went in on Saturday night (after my waters
leaking from early on Saturday morning, but I didn't realize what it
was. I just thought it was urine and that I was having an impossible
time of making it to the bathroom -- though I leaked for no reason --
no coughing or whatnot to bring it on, it was just constant.). So, the
doctor at the hospital kind of yelled at me a little, while my regular
doctor (who is still on vacation) never once mentioned the possibility
of a "leak" or anything to me at any of my appointments.

I still had a lot of amniotic fluid at this point so we were hopeful
that we'd be able to make it a few days before delivering.
Unfortunately, I started losing the rest of the fluid very quickly
after that point.

It was a shock to be told that we'd be having our baby now and it was
the scariest most horrible thing we've ever had to go through. It
became clear very early on that our baby was not doing well anymore and
that it was better for her to be born than to stay inside any longer.
We made it to Tuesday morning and started the induction process. I
very much wanted a vaginal birth. More than just about anything,
except, of course, my baby being born OK. The nurse did an US to make
sure she was in the right position and she was so we started the
pitocin. The doctor came in to check my cervix and I cried because
it hurt so much and because I desperately did not want to be having my
baby.

That all started at about seven a.m. I was checked again at a little
before three p.m. and I was 1cm and my cervix was soft. I hadn't been
even a "fingertip" dilated during the first check so I felt like I was
making progress even if it was slow.

A little after six p.m. (if I'm remembering the time right) I was
checked again. The nurse said I was still only 1cm dilated but that
the baby felt higher up. This was very hard to hear. Then, she said
the doctor wanted to check for herself. So, I was not only upset about
not making any progress and that the baby somehow moved up higher, but
I was dreading being checked again.

The doctor came in and did the exam and proclaimed, "I feel an eye!"
and told us that the baby was face down and that we wouldn't be able to
deliver vaginally because she just wouldn't come down in that position.

I wanted more than anything to not have a c-section. I wanted to
deliver my baby and at least know that I did that and gave her the best
start I possibly could.

We called everyone to let them know what was going on and then I cried.
A lot. We were told that the NICU was full and that our baby would
have to go to a different hospital. And because of my c-section I
would not be able to see my baby until I was released from the hospital
four days later. I could not stop crying. When I think about it now
it makes me so very sad.

I'm taken back for the spinal where the doctor could not get the right
spot and it was atleast a half hour of pure hell. With two nurses and
one doctor walking out of the OR because they couldn't stand being in
there and seeing me go through the pain anymore. (Though, I just sat
there and apologized for having an easy back to stick.)

While this was going on someone from the NICU came in and told me that
they had made room for my baby and I cried yet again.

Finally, it was time for the baby to come. She ended up being breech.
I have no idea how it happened as she had been head down for atleast
two months without moving and even the US that morning showed her in
the perfect position. She must have moved at the very last minute.

At 33 weeks and 1 day our little girl entered the world. My husband
got to see her the very second she was born and got to stay with her
the whole time. I told him that he was to never leave her side, no
matter what happened and he didn't. There was a comment made that
there was no more amniotic fluid left, and honestly I don't see how
there could have been.

She's completely perfect. That's all I really have to say. She has
her father's nose and she is so tiny. She was 4 pounds and 9 ounces
big, and almost 17 inches long. Though, she now weighs about 4 pounds.
She's a long baby, but so tiny. She has no fat on her and her sweet
little arms and legs are so strong. She can't keep an IV in as she
pulls them all out. She has a very big temper and will let you know
when she is not happy.

It's been very hard. She is in the NICU and we don't live close to the
hospital. I was just released on Saturday afternoon and I feel so sad
to not have her with me. I feel very empty without her. The doctors
give her an estimate of three to four weeks in the NICU. Though, it is
only a guess. She is doing better than expected. The tests they ran
on her lungs after my water broke showed lots of negative things, and
we were warned that she would not do well. Though, she hasn't needed
any help with her breathing at all.

I know this was long. I surely wasn't expecting to have my baby now.
We were supposed to have a full two months left. It breaks my heart to
be without her.

Missy
-- Baby Boo Novemeber 7th, 2006


congratulations on becoming a mum and welcome to your darling baby. I am so
sorry for you that everything is off to such an awful start, try to be
strong and it will get better. Modern miracles of medicine and all that.

regards

chris in oz


Thank you. I'm trying to be strong and do a good job most of the time.
Though, I admit I have a breakdown every time I leave the hospital
after visiting her.

-- Missy

Irrational Number wrote:
Missy wrote:

She's completely perfect. That's all I really have to say. She has
her father's nose and she is so tiny. She was 4 pounds and 9 ounces
big, and almost 17 inches long.

Congratulations on your baby, even if the birth
isn't what you envisioned. I hope she comes
home soon.

I remember my greatest fear was that I would get
home before Pillbug did and I bawled my eyes out
when I was told that he was coming home with me.
So, I do understand how you feel.

-- Anita --

Anita,
Yes, coming home without her is the worst. I know that she is where
she needs to be and that comforts me, but doesn't make living without
her any easier. It is not easy coming home. We can't wait until she
is well enough to come home. Then, home will actually feel like home
again.

-- Missy

"Missy" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anita,
Yes, coming home without her is the worst. I know that she is where
she needs to be and that comforts me, but doesn't make living without
her any easier. It is not easy coming home. We can't wait until she
is well enough to come home. Then, home will actually feel like home
again.

-- Missy


Congratulations on the birth of your daughter - it must be awful to have to
leave her along with the other stresses of having a preemie.

Recently, I read a blog about another preemie, and I found it fascinating.
Perhaps it may be of interest to you? Here's the link:
http://babymeehan.blogspot.com/2006_...n_archive.html Start
from the bottom of the page, just before their baby was born at around
30wks.

Hope all goes well for you,

Suzanne

Missy wrote:
Jamie Clark wrote:
Missy wrote:
SNIP

I know this was long. I surely wasn't expecting to have my baby
now. We were supposed to have a full two months left. It breaks my
heart to be without her.

Missy
-- Baby Boo Novemeber 7th, 2006

Hugs Missy. You and the doctors did everything you could, and the
fact of the matter is that the outcome was still good. You have a
live baby. I'm so sorry that she came early, but glad that she is
being taken care of. Hugs to you and Baby Boo.
--

Jamie


Thanks, Jamie. We feel so very blessed and fortunate to have our
baby. I had a very bad feeling that something was going to go quite
wrong. We also feel so lucky that she is being cared for by such good
people. All of the nurses in the NICU truly care about the babies.
We feel very, very lucky. We do truly know how fortunate we are to
have our baby. I felt like she was going to die before she was born,
and I can't explain it. I know how fortunate we are to have her.
It's just so hard being without her and feeling helpless. I also
feel as though I failed. But our girl will be home in the near
future, and yes, I am so truly blessed.


But you didn't fail, in any way. Babies decide when they are going to come,
and if it wasn't her decision to come this early, then it was a faulty
amniotic sac, neither of which are your fault, in any way. And as you said,
it got to the point where she was better out of you than in, so you got her
out. You took care of her, and what she needed, just like any good mother.

How far are you from the hospital? Can you find somewhere to stay that is
closer, or beg the hospital nurses to find you a space in the hospital
sooner?

Also, you may want to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. You
may have a bit of ppd coming on. Hugs.
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys, 1/3/03
Addison Grace, 9/30/04

Check out the family! -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up
your own User ID and Password